Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-06-24
WUsK FOR rRs HisrORIAS.
The Remarkable Mise and Fall Of the N
sourt a1ald kuObbers

The Remarkable Mise and Fall OF the Mss-
sourt Hsid kuobbera
From the New York Tribune. |
In different parts of the United States the |
work of nation making is continually going |
on, aud there are probably no phases Of social
development which cannot be illustrated
from the lite In some corner Of the great con.
tinent But II il markable that white much
attention has lately been given TO one or two
peculiar lines OF evolution (as witness the
valuable monographs published by Johns
Hopkins University, no students have
hitherto undertaken to analyze, collect and
put on record any OF the strange evolutionary
phenomena occurring in the South and
West The rise OF msny Western conmuni.
ties during the past thirty years has beon at
tended with events so singular that when re.
produced in fiction the facts are rejected -
extravaganI Tue history of vigilance CON-
mittees aud regulators, for example, offers
practically virgin soil to the student, and
nothing could be more interesting and In.
structive than we'll written work on these
topics. But perhaps the historian would go
far before he encountered q more striking
| episode in the working out OF civilization
| from new material than that OF the Bald
Knobbers Of Missouri
/ In this case the scene opens with the sub.
lection OF Q sparsely settled region to its worst
elements. The law WAS too weak tn enforce
itself. The strong hand prevailed, Property
| owners and tax Xpayers were at the mercy OF
roughs. Crime was rampant Presently the
| inevitabls reaction set in. A vigilant COM
| mittee WAS formed and took the rame Of
| Bald knoDbers from local rendezvous on q
| mountain top Vengeance overlook the
| ooluest OF the lawless class. The rigilsntes
| grew in power, until alter long struggle
l they conq uered the lawbreakers and X illed
or drove them from the country. For a short
time the orderly citizens breathed in peace,
but the Bald knoboers had come to realize
| their own strength, and the exercise of II
L hal hessnmR a habit The nFnrtica pf HRlDOtlC
| power, though estsnsio!y and for the most
| part really in defense of order, had brought
, | these people to believe that they had right
, / to dictate to their neighbors The result OF
/ this fallscy was disastrous The Bald
knobbers from being protectors became per
| secutors They undertook to interfere with
} every body. Tney took 1t upon themselves
| to see that men worked, that they went tc
, church, that they paid their debts, that they
sent their children to school, that they did
| not exceed at the tavern. Whippings and
| sometimes worse outrages followed rebellion
} Murder WAS not infreQuent Aud 80 by de
!. | gress the vigilance committee grew to be q
). | great An evil, ~ rank = scandal. a. the Law
lessness 1t was created to put down.
Il At length the people of the counties atiecte'
z | could endure the abuse no longer and tn
. | state government was called on for help an
1t | relief The courts were resorted to An
J. finally some two hundred Bald Knobbel
n, we're indicted, arrested and held for tria
r and among the prisoners were foun
l
W business men-ail OF whom originally joine
b. the organization from public spirited motive
q. but had gradually become demoralizsd b
fe | the possession OF too much power, unchecke Q
n. BY responsibility. The other day . remsrl
. able letter WAS read before the legislature
Missouri. 1t was signed by q man WI
% boldly claimed to be 'Chisf OF the Bal
I'd knobptrs," and 1t proclaimed that unle,
ii the legislature adjourned by the 24.h ins
st the Bald Knobbers would rise en- mssse al
a disperse it. There was . time when tn
- threat would have been regarded ss serious
- but IL is believed now that the power Of ii
'1 organization Is virtually gone, snd no inte
ference with the Law is auticip pated 1t
,e evident from these outlines that there is
4. tempting opportunity for historical researc
q and analys in the rise and fall OF the Mi;
souri, Bald Knoboers. The narrative
punctusted with dramatic and romantic II
10 cidents, moreover, all tending to illustra
u the barbarism OF the prevalent condition
" and all consequently being available for II
students purpose. Here is capital piece
IN work for some bright young American
>" some nascent Park man, seek ing the means
l winning his literary SPURS